Liz Lyons of New Lenox has found an easy way to get her kids excited about nature.

She joined the Forest Preserve District’s “Be a Trailblazer” challenge and routinely completes missions with her 6-year-old daughter, Eleanor, and 4-year-old son, Theo. It’s truly a family affair when her pups, Frankie and Vega, and her husband, Neal, join in the fun.

“My kids get so excited when they find whatever it is that we’re looking for, especially the tiny Willy,” Lyons said, referring to the cutouts of the Forest Preserve's Willy Woodchuck mascot that were hidden in preserves. “And when I have to check in at a certain location on a trail, they call it the ‘X marks the spot’ and declare victory."

Her dogs are equally enthused with the outings.

"They know when I put on my hiking shoes that we’re going on an adventure," she said. 

For Lyons, joining the “Be a Trailblazer” experience is about making lasting memories. One that stands out is a rainy spring trip to Kankakee Sands.

“(We) didn’t check the weather, and it started pouring on us when we got there,” she said. “We didn’t have a single thing to help keep us dry. We said, 'well, we’ve come all this way, might as well do what we came here to do!' My kids did not complain one bit about walking 2 miles and being completely soaked; they skipped and danced in the rain the whole time. It’s a really great memory.”

She also cherishes a photo from the Monee Reservoir trail.

“The kids giggling, the dogs happy to be on a trail, the sun in its golden hour, and a picture-perfect memory for my mama heart.”

Life-changing experience

To participate in the challenge and make your own memories, download the free Goosechase app on your smartphone and search for Be a Trailblazer or enter code PQNL75. Participants complete nature-themed missions for a chance to win prizes.

The current Trailblazer session runs through Aug. 9. The final session for 2025 runs from Sept. 25 through Nov. 8, so there is still plenty of time to Be a Trailblazer in 2025. 

Sponsored by The Nature Foundation of Will County, the program offers a wide variety of annual prizes, including kayaks, Yeti coolers, Fitbits, sleds, hiking gear and more. Prizes are tied to specific missions, with winners drawn randomly from successful entries. Over two dozen local businesses have contributed prizes to the 2025 campaign.

Before getting started, participants can check the prize list and read the challenge rules.

Lyons encourages other families to join, noting it’s a simple way to enjoy time outside.

“The planning is already done for you,” she said. “Just look up the next mission and head out there.”

She added that the benefits of being outdoors are more than worth the effort.

“We work on missions together and discover so many things along the way. I frequently use apps like Seek and Merlin ID to identify plants, insects, and birds. My kids love to go back to their grandparents and tell them nature facts and their grandparents are always very impressed.”

She finds inspiration from a quote by "Last Child in the Woods" author Richard Louv: “Time in nature is not leisure time; it's an essential investment in our children's health.”

Reflecting on her family’s journey, Lyons said participating in the Forest Preserve’s Goosechase-based challenges has been life-changing.

“It took me a while to realize how much nature we do have here and how to find an oasis in the suburbs,” she said. “Spending time in a preserve, looking up close at the insects, recognizing all the work that the Forest Preserve District does and all they have to offer really gets you out of your head and out of the day-to-day grind.”